Maker: Shigefusa & O'Malley (collaboration) (click to see more by this maker)Item num: 88142*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***Blade length: 9.50 in.Total length: 14.12 in.Blade width: 2.10 in.Blade thickness: 0.10 in.Item weight: 8.00 oz.Shipment weight: 12.72 oz.Blade: San mai suminagashi (damascus) forged from carbon steels by ShigefusaBolster: Integral suminagashi bolsterHandle: Stabilized curly koa wood set on a full tangDescription: This is a collaboration between bladesmiths Shigefusa and Daniel O'Malley. During one of his visits in Japan, Mr. O'Malley met with Shigefusa to discuss the possibility of working on a series of collaborative knives. Shigefusa would forge and finish the blade. Mr. O'Malley would finish the tang and integral bolsters, completing the knife with deluxe handles better fit for the Western market. The results of this effort have been exceptional.
Shigefusa forged the san mai blade by forge-welding an ultra-hard (63-64 Rc) carbon steel core between softer layers of suminagashi (damascus). This results in a knife what will maintain its edge much longer than even high end European-made knives. Integral bolsters are something that we have got used to seeing on Western knives because it is relatively easy to do in a factory setting. It is an extremely difficult process to create by hand but the effect is well worth the extra effort. The damascus pattern continues from the blade onto the integral bolster.
The handle was formed from exhibition grade stabilized curly koa wood. A single piece of wood was cut so as to have the wood's complex grain pattern travel across the tang. The quickly undulating curl of the wood is particularly tight and dramatic with a chatoyancy similar to that of a tiger's eye. The handle is profiled so as to be very comfortable and provide a secure hold. Two hidden bolt rivets and a complex mosaic pin secure the scales to the tang. The rivets are stainless steel and have been profiled to match the wood. The mosaic pin combines stainless steel with brass. This knife feels as good as it looks.Availability: Not currently available